Several Liberal MPs sent a strong message to Prime Minister Jean Chretien Wednesday at the first caucus meeting since the departure of Paul Martin as finance minister, by openly expressing their support of Martin to the PM.

Chretien reportedly sat stonefaced as the 13 MPs, led by Toronto's Dan McTeague, "harangued" him for more than an hour over Martin's removal and demanded the former finance minister be restored to cabinet, CTV's Mike Duffy reports.

CTV's Joy Malbon reported late Wednesday that Industry Minister Allan Rock has been asked by Chretien to speak in his place Thursday to the Americas Society in Vancouver. Earlier, it had been reported that Chretien had cancelled the speech altogether.

The prime minister backed out of the engagement so that he can be on Parliament Hill for a crucial vote on a budget bill. Chretien has dared his opponents to defeat the key bill, thereby toppling the government and forcing an election.

A source close to the former finance minister told the Canadian Press that Martin intends to be in the House for the spending vote and will make a symbolic point of standing in solidarity with Chretien.

After Wednesday's caucus meeting, MP Albina Guarnieri, a fervent Martin backer, told reporters that "the prime minister was left with much to digest." She is among the group of MPs who believe that Chretien dismissed Martin over his bid to lead the Liberal Party and end Chretien's tenure as prime minister.

Chretien admits mistake

Quebec MP Nick Discepola told reporters that during the caucus meeting Chretien admitted he should never have told potential successors they can begin their leadership campaigns.

"He admitted that the mistake he made was that ... that he probably should never have given his consent to the leadership candidates who start openly organizing," Discepola reported.

Discepola said the unofficial leadership campaigns had created a "chaotic situation" within the caucus that had to be quelled but warned that "it's not like a tap that you can turn on and off at will."

The prime minister didn't speak to reporters after the meeting, choosing instead to head straight to the door

But the chair of the party's Atlantic caucus had a different take on the mood of the meeting. New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc said the meeting was constructive and Chretien delivered a clear message that leadership issues must wait until a mandatory Liberal leadership review next February.

"The was no nastiness," said LeBlanc. "The message that came through consistently was the need for the caucus to pull together and focus on the reason we were elected.

"I'm going to get back to looking after my riding and the prime minister is going to get back to the business of running the country."

However, Duffy says "the battle is far from over," and that the disgruntled core of MPs will likely continue their campaign "to drive Chretien out of office."

'We have to go back to the agenda'

Before the meeting, Chretien told reporters he would tell Liberal MPs to put aside the leadership issue until next year and get on with Canada's social and economic agenda.

Chretien said simmering "internal party politics" could drive voters to the Canadian Alliance. "I say to them now we have to go back to the agenda," Chretien said. "We will deal with it (leadership) in the month of February."

"I (have) said to them I was reviewed by the people of Canada 18 months ago and we got an increased majority."

According to his supporters, Martin spent much of Tuesday at his Montreal home receiving "many, many, many" phone calls from Liberal ministers and backbenchers pledging support. The Martin camp said the former finance minister has been deluged with more than 800 supportive e-mails and faxes and more than 1,000 phone calls since Sunday.

It's widely believed Martin will now, if he hasn't already, begin stepping up his bid to unseat Chretien at February's leadership review.